Eva Sun's no stranger to loss. At the age of seven, she lost her mother and was forced to live with her godmother, godfather, and their two children. Of course, she grew to love her new family and adopt them as her parents and siblings. For the next...
A few days passed and it was finally the weekend. I woke up extra early to get started decorating and making a special birthday breakfast feast. I knew that Mom and Dad would be stressed and Seth would be no help at all. All he would want to do is eat and open his presents. I'm not sure how Leah would react. We haven't spoken since I came home and whenever Mom mentions the party, she walks away.
"What are you doing?" Leah asked.
I turned around, holding a big stack of pancakes. "I'm making breakfast," I said, placing the pancakes on the table. I walked back into the kitchen and started frying bacon on the stovetop. I heard a small groan before the front door slammed shut. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand.
By using my air powers, I managed to waft the smell of bacon upstairs to rouse the birthday boy. Mom and Dad came down, fully dressed, a few minutes later.
"Morning," I said, placing the bacon on the table next to the eggs, pancakes, and toast. Thanks to my fire magic, everything was able to stay at the perfect temperature.
"Morning, sweetie," Mom said, wrapping her arms around me. "You didn't have to do this."
"I wanted to. Besides you guys will need your strength to help with all the decorations," I teased. They took their seats at the table and a minute later Seth came downstairs. His eyes got big and his mouth dropped to the floor. I barely got a squeeze before he started devouring everything in sight.
After eating breakfast, we got to work on the decorations. Seth helped Dad move the extra table and chairs out from the garage and get them set up while I placed the tablecloths on them and added a few table settings. Mom took her post in the kitchen making mac n' cheese, pulled pork, and baked beans. Since most of those could go in the crock pot she used the oven to bake Seth's favorite cake, a chocolate vanilla marble cake with buttercream frosting.
I had Dad and Seth bring one of the smaller tables inside so we could put presents on it. There was also a box for those who just brought cards. I set it up near the dining room, keeping traffic flow in mind. This way it would be easy to spot but not in the way of the natural flow of the room.
Once those things were complete, it was time to clean the living and dining room. I made Seth dust everything while I traveled behind him vacuuming and moping. He wasn't happy that he was made to clean on his birthday but I just told him to think of all the presents he would open later. He didn't find that amusing so I threatened to return his gift. He stopped complaining after that.
About an hour and a half later we were done. Everything was perfect. The decorations were just the right touch and the house smelled like home-cooked food. Seth was starving so Mom let him sample everything before sending him upstairs to shower and change. I promised to be back in an hour. Mom told me to take as long as needed and not rush. The party didn't start for another couple of hours.
I walked the ten minutes it took to get from Mom and Dad's to my house. Once I got there, I checked the protection wards to ensure nothing was disturbed. Thankfully, everything was in its place. After that, I went upstairs to the master bathroom and took a much-needed shower. Now, I love bacon as much as the next girl but the smell always lingers in my hair, not a fan of smelling like a diner all day. I used my cherry blossom shampoo and conditioner which eradicated the smell. Afterward, I shaved my legs and pits and used my mango body wash.
Now, to pick out an outfit. I had plenty of showy dresses from my time in New York and Korea, but none of them seemed right. At the very back of my closet I found the perfect dress. It was a black halter dress that flowed right to my mid-thighs. The top cinched around my waist and had a sweetheart neckline under a piece of sheer fabric. The skirt billowed out around me in several layers that would twirl if I turned too fast. I paired it with a pair of simple black flats. Usually, I wear heels with dresses, but considering the climate and the casual feel of the party, I didn't want to be too flashy.
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
Up next was hair and makeup. I did a simple half-up, half-down bun with a tiny braid wrapped around the bun. As for makeup, I did just a simple, natural look. I used mostly nude shades and applied a small amount of blush. Instead of lipstick or lip liner, I just used lip balm. I grabbed Seth's presents and placed them in a big bag. I grabbed a simple black sweater before leaving and locking the house.
When I arrived at Mom and Dad's I noticed a few people had already shown up. I waved to Uncle Billy and his friend Charlie. Uncle Billy's not biologically my uncle, but he always tried to include me after Bio-Mom passed. Sometimes I would get to play with Rachel and Rebecca, his daughters before tribe events. Charlie's not a member of the tribe. He lives in Forks but is good friends with Uncle Billy and Dad. They would go on fishing trips and come back with fanciful stories. Those were some of my favorite memories growing up. I made a mental note to go and talk to them after checking on everything inside.
"How's everything going?" I asked Mom, after dropping off the presents on the gift table.
"Everything's fine, but will you check on Seth? He hasn't come down yet," Mom asked.
"Of course."
I walked upstairs and headed to his room. I softly knocked, but he didn't answer. I slowly pushed open the door a smidge to see if he was even in his room. A slumped figure sat on the bed.
"Hey, buddy," I whispered, trying not to scare him. "What's wrong?" I asked, sitting next to him on the bed.
"Nothing, I'm just overthinking," Seth denied.
"I can't fix it if you won't tell me what's wrong. You were so excited earlier."
"It's just... I don't want you to leave again. Last time we had a party you were leaving. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and find you left for New York again or that you found your real family."
"Seth, I found my real family." He looked at me in surprise. "I found two loving and generous people who opened their hearts and home to a scared little girl. I found my real family in a rambunctious toddler who refused to understand what no means. And I found my real family in someone who can't stand me. The day I came home with Mom and Dad was the day I found my real family. One, I wouldn't trade for anything in the whole world.
"There is going to be a time when I go back to New York, but it is not tomorrow, and it's not forever. I will be gone for less than ten days, and I can go at any time. I hated leaving you guys and hated leaving my family, but it was a journey I needed to take. One you will take too. Maybe yours won't be in New York but a college of your choosing. It will hurt, but the great thing about family is that you always have a home to come back to.
"I'm sorry I didn't visit very often, but I promise, there wasn't a day that I didn't miss my family. Now, I make you a new promise. I promise to never leave without proper notice or without checking in ever again."
"Why do you have to go back to New York? Why can't you stay here?"
"Bio-Mom left something for me, and to get it, I needed to find myself. So I studied abroad and took the time to learn who I was and figure out what I wanted to do. Coming home was the final step, getting the house ready gave me everything I needed to complete her last task. Now that it's done, I need to talk to an old friend of hers. Then, I come back for good and open an apothecary-slash-design studio."
"Your two passions; plants and art."
"Exactly... Are you ready to go downstairs?"
"Yeah." We both stood up. He wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tight. I wrapped my arms around his shoulder and held him close. "Thanks for being my sister."
